Door fastener



C. HOFFMAN Aug. 7, 1951 DOOR FASTENER Filed July 12, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l r. mm M fm M WM I# Aug. 7, 1951 c. HOFFMAN 2,562,916

DooR FASTENER v Filed July l2, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR. CCI/4Z Hof/"m am Patented Aug. 7, 1951 DOOR FASTENER Carl Edwin Hoffman, Allentown, Pa., assignor, by direct and mesne assignments, of one-half to Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Public Assistance and one-half Hoffman, Allentown, Pa.

to Edwin C.`

Application July V12, 1946, Serial No. 683,129

My invention relates to improvements in door fasteners with particular reference to devices of this character which are adapted for locking 'a door in either a closed or apartly opened position, the present invention being an improvement over the device disclosed in my Patent #1,548,270, dated'August 4, 1925. i i The invention is characterized by a keeper and -latch mountedon a door and jamb, and is adapted yfor-looking the' door in closed position, the latch being provided with an operating means adapted for association with the keeper to lock the door in partly open position. y

- One of the important objects of the invention,

ag hereinabove characterized, is to provide yielding retaining means for maintaining the latch in either its operative or inoperative position, whereby it willnot be operated by the weight of the keeperengaging latch operator when the latter is disengaged from the keeper.

The further andA more specific object `of the invention is to provide in a door fastener a latch mountedonl either the jamb or door for engaging av keeper to retain the door closed.

A still further and morespecic object of the invention is toprovide in a door fastener as characterized, a latch and attaching base which incorporates interltting rbearing'members, one of said bearing membershaving `end notches and the-other bearing member providing a rib selectively engaging in said notches and yielding means tending to bring -about engagement be- .tween said notches and rib wherebythe weight inexpensive to manufacture..

Othervobjects and `advantagesof the invention will be apparent to` those skilled vinthe art asthe description proceeds, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings illustrating the now preferred yexample of the invention.

It will be understood,v however, that the inventionis susceptible. of othermechanical expressions within the spirit and scope of the subject matter claimed'hereinafter.

' In the drawings, `wherein the same reference characters have been used to designate the same parts, in. all views- Fig. 1 is 'a perspective kview of the device appliedto an inwardly opening doorand its associated jamb, with the ylatch positioned to retain the 9190.1 ,fully pissed;

4 Claims. (Cl. 292-265) Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the device arranged for retaining the door partly open; 1 f I Fig. 3 is a vertical view through the novel latch element, per se, as shown in Fig, 1;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view through the latch, per se, as shown in Fig. 1; Y

Fig-5 is a plan view ofthe rotatable latch ele-'- ment removed, and looking into .the inner 'base plateucarried end thereof;v land i Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the-jamb-carried base plate and showing the sleeve end notches 23a for selectively engaging the rivet 20 of rotatable latch I2. I Y

Referring to the drawings by reference characters, the numeral 8 designates an inwardly opening door and 9 indicates the jamb.

rI'he door fastener, which is the subject of the instant invention,` comprises a latch-carrying base plate I0, which is adapted to be secured to either a door or a door jamb by means of screws or the like II. In-the case of an inwardly opening door, the latch-carrying plate I0 will bese;- cured to the jamb 9, for Ireasons' which will be apparent hereinafter.

The latch I2, which is pivoted to base plate IIJ, is illustrated as `a rectangular bar-like member having a latch portion I2a at one end, the back of the latch having an outwardly extending boss I3. The outer end of the boss I3 terminates in the bifurcation providing the spaced` ears I3a.,

Vwhich are transversely apertured as at I3b.

A combined latch-operating and keeper-engaging lever I4 has its inner end pivoted on pin 13e, between the ears I3a. The outer end of the lever I4 has the reverted keeper engaging portion Mu', which is spaced laterally from the major lever` portion and whose edges are provided with a series of spaced transverse notches I5 for selective engagement with the lower leg portion of the door,- carried keeper I6, to retain the door partly open, as shown. Keeper I6 is secured to the mounting plate I'I, which is fastened to the jamb-engaging end of door 9.

The lever carrying boss I3, of the latch I2, is provided with a deep cylindrical bearing recess I8, extending inwardly from the base plate` en gaging face of .said latch I 2. This bearing recess I8 is adapted vto receive therbase plate-carried .sleeve 22, for pivoting latch I2, to the base plate Extending outwardly from the recess I8k is the concentrically located pin I9. As shown in the drawing, the inner end of the pin I9 seats in a counter-bore Ila, andit functions not only as a supplementary. latch bearingelement, butalso Ut v'be dealt with presently.

as a part of a latch and plate retaining and latch position control means, al1 as will be presently understood.

This pin I9 is retained in place by means of the transverse rivet20 whose ends seat in the opposite wall portions `of the -boss L3. The rivet, as intimated, goes through the pin I9, and it is important to note that about half the diameter of the rivet 2B protrudes as a ridge beyond the inner end surface of the recess I8. The advantage of this last mentioned partiular arrangement will be emphasized hereinafter.

The drawing also shows `that the latch rcarried pin I9 extends outwardly from the inner face of the latch I2 a distance approximating the thickness of the base plate IIJ, the .outer end o f said pin extending beyond relatively deep opposed bottom surface recess in base plate I0. This bottom surface recess 25 of base plate IE! seats opposite ends of -a cotter pin Aor thelike, 24, which is extended through a transverse hole in latchcarried pin I9. The purpose of this is to retain the parts assembled, as Y`will -be better understood later.

Thefbase plate :I0 has a bearing opening 2| concentric with and somewhat smaller than latch boss opening I8, and through which :the latch carried -p-in -I 9 concentrically extends. .Surrounding, or sweated into 1the latch base opening 2l, -is the integral or rigidly attached bearing sleeve 22,- previously referred to, as ladapted for recep- 1tion in the latch provided bearing recess I'B, with which it makes a relatively stable bearing nt.

Theouter end of the base plate carried sleeve 22 has an yinwardly extending -ilange 23 defining, concentric with thebase plate opening 2 I, a bear- -in-g for the latch carried pin I9. Thus, in effect 'there is provided a double bearing connection between the latch I2 and its'base plate I-Q. One of these `latch bearings is obviously provided by the Iinterfitting sleeve and recess por-tions 22, I 3. The other ,latchbear-ing Vis `furnished by the latch carried pin I9 and its `bearing engagement Vin the hole provided ilange 23 of the base-carried sleeve portion 2-3 (see Figs. =3 and 4) and second, by the bearing engagement of pin I 9 in a washer -21 seated in the opening 2| of base plate I0 (s ee Figs. 3 and 4'), This double bearing is, as will be appreciated, a `very important feature when applied -to an instrumentality such as a lock, where the provision o f strength is oi prime importance.

The oute r end of the ange 23, of the base 4 tion of the rivet 2l), so that the base plate carried sleeve and latch I2 may partake of suiiicient relative movement to allow for engagement and disengagement of notches 23a from the cotter pin 20.

As illustrated, there is an annular space between the pin I9 and the base-carried sleeve 22.

This space is occupied by a coil spring 26, incidently mentioned hereinabove. One end of said spring 26 bears against the inwardly extending flange 2 3 .of Ythe v:b asecarried sleeve 22, While the other vend bears ,against the inner surface of the washer V2'I. Thus, spring 26 normally acts through Washer 2l, cotter pin 24 and Pin I8 to draw the 'latch I2 into flat contact with base plate I0, and `likewise exposed rivet-provided rib 20 against the notched end 23, 23a of the platecarried sleeve 22. Thus, the latch I2 will be yieldably retained in predetermined operative or inoperative .position against accidental shifting, by engagement yof selected pairs of V.notches with the lrivet-provided rib 20.

vHaving Vthus described my invention, what I claim as newand desire `to secure byletters Patentisz 1. A door fastener of the class .described comprising a latch, a `base plate supporting said latch, interi-tting spaced bearings .carried by said base plate and latch for mounting -the `latch `for swinging movement in a plane with the base plate, said bearing meansi-ncluding a transverse bore in the latch and an outwardly extending ,boss on -the base plate mounted within said latch bore, a concentric pi-n .extending outwardly from `plate-carried sleeve v22, is provided with circum- *ferentially -spaced pairs of opposed notches 23a, adapted to selectively engage the raised or exposed ri'b-likejportion Ao f rivet 20 at the end of the latch-,provided recess I8. 'lp order to retain `.the latch 12'and base plate L0 assembled, the critter p in L.24, Lpreviously mentioned, is passed through a transverse hole in the bearing pin I9, 4outwardly of the washer 2l, which is seated in plate recess 2 5.

.T Recess 25, as shown, is of a depth suillcient to dispose the Cotter 11111.24 inwardly 0f the plane ,of the nnelsurface df base plate Il). This eniablesbase plate L0 to make vflat contact with the .door or Jam'b to which it iS attached- Although the cotter pin 24 holds the base plate jmd latch I 2, I.l) in assembly, V`Vit does permit of .Slight Separating movement .of vthe latch and its ibase plate vagainst the action of ,the spring 26, The permitted amount of .this Separating .movementis dapproximately equal to the thickness ofthe exposed porsaid bore, a transverse rivet extending through the `latch and pin -for retaining the latter :in place, a pcrtionof said rivet `projecting outwardly of the plane ofthe end of said vbore to provide -a rib, and the base plate-carried bearing por-tion comprising a sleeve having `end 'notches selectively engageable with said exposedr-ribfproviding -rivet portion, and a coil spring tending to `bring the notched end Aof said sleeve into lengagement -with said rivet provided rib whereby to yieldably retain the latch against movement relatively of its `base plate.

2. A door fastener of the class described comprising a swingably mounted latch and 'keeper adapted Ijfor interchangeable mounting on a door and associated jamb, amounting plate for said jlatch, smeans associated with the mounting plate and latch for rotatably securing the latch tothe vmounting plate, and inter-engageable means carried by the mounting plate vand latch adapted to retain thelatter in keeper or non-keeper engaging position, spring Ameans associated with said latch and latch mounting plate for positioning said inter-engageable means-for engagement with one another when .the latch is swung, an operating lever fQr saisi latch and ,riveted thereto. said levershavrig e .reverselv bent terminal D91'- ton parauellg its .IIlfQl PQGQn, .Sii $5913.61 providing a loop. all@ fad 4 lfrvsrgly "bent .latch portion havingnptplles, tbereversv bent latch portinnbeing adapted t9 bereccived in the Keener 199i Nl-1&1) 11 B f 109 1` s 913.61112@ .2i-11@ .1513 lafh .T9- leased from the keeper.

A3- AdOQr .fastener .0f .the Class .described 00m- Vnrsng.a swinsablv mounted .latch consisting of a body of substantial thickness, said latch body having a Substantially central .cylindrical bore extending voutvvardlv from its inner Surface, SS-id .bore terminating short cf .the C11-lier suriace of said latch body, a latch supporting plateadapted for mounting on the exterior surface of a door jamb, said latch supporting plate having an outwardly extending sleeve slightly smaller diametrically than said latch bore and extending into the latter whereby to pivotally mount the latch body tor movement relatively of the latch supporting plate, the bore of said latch body having a concentric counter-bore, a stud seated in the counter-bore oi said latch body, said stud extending into and being spaced ooncentrically from the inner surface oi said sleeve, the outer end of said sleeve within the bore of said latch body having circurnferentially spaced opposed pairs of end notches, a transverse pin extending through said latch body and stud for securing the same together, portions of said stud-securing pin being exposed inwardly of the plane of the inner end of the latch body bore at opposite sides of said stud, said exposed portion of said stud-securing pin being adapted to be selectively received in said pairs of said notches in the outer end o said latch supporting plate carried sleeve, the outer end of said sleeve having an inwardly extending circumferential-flange providing a bearing for the inner end of said latch body-carried stud, a coil spring surrounding said stud and bearing against said sleeve iiange, said latch body-carried stud extending substantially to the plane of said latch supporting plate, and a stop on said stud adjacent said latch supporting plate and providing a bearing for the other end of said coil spring whereby said coil spring normally urges the exposed portion of said stud securing pin against the proximate end or said plate carried sleeve.

4. The combination set forth in claim 3, and an operating lever for said latch and tending by its Weight to swing the latch in an opening direction but retained against doing so by the engagement of said pin in one of said pairs of end notches of the sleeve of said latch-supporting plate, and others of said sleeve notches being adapted to engage said stud securing pin when the latch is open to retain said lever against shifting and said lever in said latter position being adapted to engage a keeper element for maintaining a door partly open.

CARL EDWIN HOFFMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ile of this patent:

UNTED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,548,269 Hoffman Aug. 4, 1925 2,276,915 Axe et al Mar. 17, 1942 

